Blue Memories
by SailorStar9
Summary: Ever wondered how Yamato got his harmonica? Ishida Yamato and Mizuno Ami; two inseparable children, bonded over a similar background and a shared interest in music. But things changed after that summer camp, leaving Ami feeling betrayed and abandoned. Mostly a flashback fic that happens before Digimon Adventures started.
1. Prologue

SaliorStar9: Well, another new fic coming from me after re-watching Digimon Adventures and Digimon 02. I was also inspired by FortressMaximus' 'Of Crests and Planets' fic and hopefully me starting this will encourage him to continue his please be a dear and review.

Summary: Ever wondered how Yamato got his harmonica? Ishida Yamato and Mizuno Ami; two inseparable children, bonded over a similar background and a shared interest in music. But things changed after that summer camp, leaving Ami feeling betrayed and abandoned. Mostly a flashback fic that happens before Digimon Adventures started; the prologue starts somewhere during episode 38 of Digimon 02.

Disclaimers: I do not own the animes. But I do own the pairing, I hope.

Prologue

* * *

"Can't believe I'm back here." Mizuno Ami sighed, stepping out of the Odaiba Station. "Oh well." She shrugged, remembering the reason she had returned. "Time to get this over with, I guess."

* * *

"Come on, Sora." Piyomon chided her partner, Sora standing outside 'Teenage Wolves' band wagon. "Why are you stopping here?"

"Because…" Sora started.

"Sora, what are you doing?" Taichi inquired, Agumon by his side.

"I smell something delicious." Gabumon opened the door.

"Is that for Yamato?" Taichi guessed.

"Sora's been hesitating for a while out here." Piyomon supplied.

"Hurry up and give it to him." Taichi urged. "Hurry up!" he pushed Sora in.

"Sora, Taichi." Yamato greeted his two friends at the door. "Sorry, I've got to run."

"Yamato?" Sora blinked, the blond taking off.

"What's with that?" even Taichi was confused.

"Yamato received a present earlier." Gabumon explained. "And then, he went pale when he took out the snow globe from the gift box."

* * *

"One last time." Ami whispered, entering the playground she used to play in when she still lived in Odaiba. "That's right." She sat on the swing. "One last time."

Yamato had finally found the person he was looking for at the old playground. _It's all my fault._ He cursed himself, his ears picking up the soft humming of Britney Spear's 'Lucky'. _ I should've protected her._

* * *

_Hashiguchi Youko: the typical bully all schools were plagued with, and was under a lot of pressure from her creditor father to do well in school but could never accomplish even half was what was expected of her._

_In the beginning, she had no real target, and was more of a nuisance to everyone. But it was part of the scenario. She was looking for a prey. The ideal victim, someone she could project all her angst, anger and self-hate onto. And eventually, she did find one; the top student in class._

_But Youko stalled her plan since Yamato acted as a buffer for Ami, a shield of sorts. Then, her opportunity came after that fateful 'summer camp' when Ami returned to school without Yamato by her side. Without Yamato protecting Ami, Youko set her plan into action._

* * *

_  
"It's amazing!" the students gather around the results announcement on the bulletin board._

_"It must be nice for Mizuno-san to be number one all the time." Risa remarked snidely._

_"After all, she studies really hard, right?" Mira added._

_"She should be careful." Megumi commented. "So people won't call her a nerd."_

_"I found this cheat sheet in Mizuno's desk." Shin reported, a slip of paper in his hand._

_"Mizuno cheated on this round of tests." Shuu peered at the slip. "That's horrible."_

_"The reason why she's been number one all this time is probably that she's been cheating." Shin concluded._

_"You cynical, sadistic creep!" Risa spat out, completely forgetting to mask the brutality of her true character._

_"You spoiled little goody-two-shoes," Mira said in her cold and elegant manner._

_"Stupid snob!" Megumi added, imitating her classmates like she always did, yet always coming out as plump and inferior._

_Yamato could only look one as the insults hit the unfortunate girl like lashes from a whip. He was about to step out to pull the quivering Ami away and shield her from every word they shot at her, when Sora pulled him back, her eyes pleading for him to stay._

_Unable to look into their hateful eyes anymore, Ami glanced up to look for her protector, only to see Yamato looking at the ground as_ _m__ore and more of the children joined in the public humiliation._

_Aside, Youko grinned__triumphantly, like she had finally succeeded. At last, she had turned her arch nemesis into something that was worse than her. She had pulled the teacher's pet down to her level and was now free to trample her in the face. Now she could finally experience the pleasure only someone who has been trampled on her whole life feels._

_Yamato could only look on, helpless, as Ami was made into the enemy of the whole class. The bullying of the top student now became something widely accepted. While most of the class still did not do anything actively, they all accepted what happened, and they all felt she deserved it._

* * *

_I should've been at her side._ Yamato scolded himself. _I should've known something was wrong._

* * *

_It was at the second half of the last semester in sixth grade. Final exams were coming up, and the stress and tension in school were enormous. Youko had no chance of passing them, and everyone knew this. Her desperation and vanity made her abuse grow to extreme proportions._

_The final straw came when one day, the entire school was shocked by the sudden announcement; Mizuno Ami was hospitalized when she attempted suicide the previous night. All accusations, from the rest of the student body to the teachers, were directed at the top student's classmates and not even Yamato could escape coming under the fire._

_Investigations then uncovered the bullying and the immense stress Ami had been put under for the last year and a half. Youko, the instigator herself, was then expelled, blacklisted and dragged off to Social Services. Everyone else who had participated in the bullying were given a stern warning and their parents notified. The PTA had also laid down the ultimatum: every single one of them was to give Ami a formal apology when she returned._

_But that chance never came when Mizuno Saeko pulled her daughter out of the school, moved to Juuban and hired a private tutor for the rest of the semester._

* * *

"It's my fault." Yamato muttered, his feet having unconsciously led him before the brooding teenage girl. "I should've been there. I'm sorry."

"That's enough." Ami cut in. "From now on, I want to keep our relationship strictly professional; no personal strings attached." Strolling past him, she walked towards the entrance. "Congratulations, Takenouchi." She remarked, pausing at Sora's side. "He's all yours."

_His heart was never mine to begin with._ Sora realized. _I knew it was foolish to listen Hashiguchi, but…_

* * *

_"__Takenouchi…" Hashiguchi snarled, cornering Sora in the empty hallway, the Keeper of the Love Crest having witnessed Youko plant the cheat sheet under Ami's desk. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep quiet about this. Besides," she smirked. "I know you hate that teacher's pet as much as I do; once we remove her, Ishida's all yours."_

_Her resolve weakened, Sora could only watch as the drama unfolded, Youko turning the entire class against Ami._

* * *

"Sora…" Yamato blinked, noticing Sora.

"It's me…" Sora muttered. "It's I who is to blame. I _saw_ Hashiguchi put the cheat sheet under Mizuno's desk…"

"And yet you kept silent about it?" Yamato echoed. "Why, Sora?"

"Because…" Sora looked away.

"I see…" Yamato frowned, seeing the wrapped present in Sora's hands. "How long?"

"3 years ago, ever since we came back from the Digital World." Sora looked away. "But now I know how stupid I was. You never stopped loving her, did you?"

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	2. When We Were Young

SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 1. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 1: When We Were Young

* * *

"Friendship is like a river that parts," Yamato's lone voice began. "That strings our hearts together…" Ami had been surprised to find the hidden track at the end of 'The Teenage Wolves' trial album. "Out of all songs, why did he…"

"Good evening, Mizuno-senpai." Miyako was on the phone. "What are you up to this lovely evening?"

"Inoue-kouhai." Ami greeted. "Nothing much, really. Just preparing for exams."

"Exams?" Miyako echoed. "Just like Kido-senpai, huh? What are you listening to?" she asked, ears straining to catch the lyrics. "I didn't know you liked… omigod that sounds like Ishida-senpai! You found that song he recorded, didn't you? You _were_ holding out on me, senpai!" she whined when Ami finally hit the 'stop' button. "But what's so special about that song that you'd… omigod! He recorded it for you, didn't he? That's so romantic! He really wants to patch up with you!"

"But, Miyako, Yamato didn't…" Ami's protest was cut off.

"Can't talk right now, gonna find the track." Miyako hung up.

With the song still playing in the background, Ami toyed with the snow globe on her table as she went down memory lane.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Hold the door!" the nine-year-old Yamato called, rushing towards the lift. "Thanks." He panted, running into the elevator and the doors shut. "You…" he blinked, recognizing the person holding the door. "Good morning."_

"_Good morning." Ami nodded in greeting._

"_By the way," Yamato started. "Thank you, for the cookies yesterday."_

"_Don't mention it." Ami replied. "Consider it a housewarming present."_

"_Ah…" Yamato nodded._

* * *

"_This is a surprise." Yamato mused, taking his seat beside Ami after the homeroom teacher introduced him to the class. "First neighbours, then classmates, and now seatmates."_

"_No kidding." Ami agreed._

"_Mizuno, Ishida!" the teacher hollered. "No whispering in class!"_

"_Yes, sensei!" the two seatmates chorused._

* * *

"_I'm home!" Ishida __Hiroaki called, entering the apartment that evening._

"_Welcome back, dad." Yamato greeted his father._

"_Oya, what a cute visitor." Hiroaki spotted Ami in the living room._

"_I apologize for the interruption, Ishida-san." Ami bowed._

"_No worries." Hiroaki assured. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"_

"_I'll hate to impose." Ami shook her head. "Besides, we've just about finished."_

"_I'll see you to the door." Yamato offered and walked Ami out of the apartment. "Walk you to school tomorrow?" he proposed._

"_Okay." Ami nodded shyly._

"_Quite a cute girlfriend you have, Yamato." Hiroaki ruffled his son's hair._

"_DAD!" Yamato exclaimed._

"_You're blushing, sonny." Hirako grinned._

* * *

"So I hear the two of us are an item." Yamato chuckled, over video-cam the next day.

"So I hear." Ami nodded. "Sorry."

"You'll get used to rumours in my line of work." Yamato assured. "If I've got to be rumoured in love with someone, I'm glad it's the one I'm _actually_ in love with. Unfortunately, now 'our' song's gone into heavy rotation on local radio," he shook his head and sighed. "Makes me wish I'd never recorded that thing on the album."

"You're too hard on yourself." Ami chided.

"I shatter the high notes." Yamato protested.

"But you sound so cute doing it." Ami teased.

Yamato grinned, but quickly realized, "Wait, you're serious, aren't you?"

Ami just smiled, "I'm afraid those rumours might be partly my fault."

"How so?" Yamato blinked.

"Miyako caught me listening to your song last night, and because I shut it off when she heard it, she assumed you must've done it for me." Ami explained.

"Well, if it's Miyako, can't say I'm surprised, given her network." Yamato mused. "Just give her one night and an open phone line, and she'll have the whole country alerted by morning. And more than that," he smirked. "I hear it's starting in Europe and America, too."

"My face all over world-wide media?" Ami blanched. "But I can't…"

"Just kidding." Yamato grinned. "We aren't _that_ big yet. Hey, Ami." He started. "I'm serious, about you being the one I'm in love with."

"What about…" Ami blinked.

"Sora backed off." Yamato replied. "She knew she never had a chance."

* * *

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is _finally_ down. Read and review folks.


	3. We All Had Dreams

SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 2. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 2: We All Had Dreams

* * *

"Well, this _certainly_ brings back memories." Ami mused as she dug out the memoir box inside her closet. Fingering the egg-shaped fruit sweets container she had gotten from Yamato when she was out for a week due to a severe cold, her eyes darted towards an essay she had written for class.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Dreams?" Yamato whispered as he read the essay title on the blackboard the teacher had assigned for homework. "What did Choza-sensei mean by that?"_

"_You can interpret how you want." Choza-sensei told the class. "You can write about what you dreamt last night, what you dream of doing in the future, what you wish for… etc."_

* * *

"_Dreams, dreams, dreams…" Yamato muttered as he racked his brains over the essay._

"_You know, you'd think easier if you had sugar in your system." Ami pointed out, setting out a pair of dango sticks before him._

"_That hit the spot." Yamato sighed, now recharged and went back to brainstorming._

"_You know, I don't see how this can be difficult." Ami remarked._

"_Easy for you to say." Yamato muttered. "Miss Genius. Ah ha!" he grinned when a brainwave hit him and the blond started scribbling._

"_Yamato," Ami deathpanned, her best friend having handed her his essay to proofread. "Have I mentioned how illegible your handwriting is?" she asked, trying her best to make out the incomprehensible scrawling Yamato called handwriting._

"_Plenty of times." Yamato moaned._

"_But I really must tip my hat off to the teachers in school." Ami whistled. "To be able to understand all of this."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Yamato retorted._

_Ami gulped nervously when the blond pounced on her from his side of the table, before bursting out giggling when Yamato started tickling her._

* * *

Just then, the phone rang, snapping Ami out of her thoughts. "Yamato?" she blinked, picking up the phone.

"Oh Ami?" Yamato voiced over the receiver. "About Sunday, the day after tomorrow…" he stated. "Those tickets to the amusement park… dad had a pair of tickets but he won't be able to go, so he gave them to me…"

* * *

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is _finally_ down. Read and review folks.


	4. Once You Revealed Your Wishes

SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 3. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 3: Once You Revealed Your Wishes

* * *

Ami was getting ready for her date when her eyes rested on the snow globe on her desk that acted like a paperweight and her mind pulled out yet another memory.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Ami looked on, bemused, as Yamato peered through the window of the music store, his eyes unwavering on the silver harmonica on display. "Yamato, you're drooling." She teased._

"_I want that..." Yamato whined, Hirako pulling his son off._

"_I'll give it to you for Christmas." The older Ishida promised._

"_But it's March!" Yamato complained. "My birthday's next month!"_

"_Yamato," Hirako stopped in his tracks, looking at his son sternly. "You're not 8 anymore, you'll be 10 next month, so act like your age."_

_Yamato pouted all the way back home._

* * *

Ami blinked, snapping out of her stupor when a knock was heard on the door.

"Hi, Yuki-hime." Yamato grinned, when Ami opened the door for him.

"It's been awhile since I heard that." Ami chuckled.

"For you." Yamato handed her the bouquet of assorted flowers.

"Thanks." Ami took a sniff. "Let me find a vase to put it in."

"I see Auntie Saeko's still working in the hospital." Yamato mused, giving the whiteboard a quick glance. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Just let me grab my purse." Ami replied.

* * *

"Is that…" Usagi blinked, snuggling onto Mamoru's arm when the couple walked past the train station.

"Ami?" Mamoru finished. "Yes, it is."

"I didn't know she had a boyfriend." Usagi remarked, noticing the blond beside the Mercury Senshi. "He's kinda of cute, though."

"Usako!" Mamoru chided. "For shame!"

"No time!" Usagi removed herself. "Gonna tell the girls."

"Can you imagine what'd happen if you do that?" Mamoru deathpanned. "For one thing, Minako…"

"Would try to steal Ami's boyfriend." Usagi sighed, relenting.

* * *

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is _finally_ down. Read and review folks.


	5. When Your Birthday Came

SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 4. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 3: When Your Birthday Came

* * *

It had been three months since Usagi caught Ami on her roller coaster ride date, and the blonde Moon Senshi's silence was broken three days after that Sunday.

Excited, the rest of the Senshi clamoured Ami for more details, to which the Water Senshi either dodged the questioning or changed the subject altogether.

Undeterred, the girls continued to stalk the Ice Senshi, to no avail as the 'mystery boyfriend' just simply vanished into thin air.

* * *

Then came Yamato's birthday, with Hirako sending the couple off to the beach resort in Inaka Hama for a weekend getaway, expenses fully paid.

They had teased each other with the cream on the birthday cake on the night of Yamato's birthday, the resulting kiss afterwards cementing their relationship.

* * *

It had been quite remarkable how they could keep their relationship underground for so long, considering how they were friends with a pair of nosy girls, namely Inoue Miyako and Aino Minako.

"And heavens forbid they ever made friends with each other." Ami once commented via IM. "Just imagine the havoc they'll cause!"

Then, the time came for Ami's birthday.

* * *

"Yamato, you didn't have to…" Ami breathed, the older Ishida sibling having taken her to a high-end restaurant months later. "Now I feel underdressed."

"Don't be." Ishida pulled out the chair for her. "You look just wonderful."

* * *

"Damn Ami," Usagi glared, biting down on her handkerchief in envy as she espied on the couple outside the diner. "Not even _I've_ been to such an expensive restaurant with Mamo-chan."

* * *

Inside the restaurant, Yamato grinned as he sensed his partner settle in comfortably.

Ami's eyes, however, widened when the lights suddenly went out as the night's entertainment unveiled itself. "You did this on purpose." She whispered to her date, the strings quartet on stage started the beginning chords of 'Waltz of the Flowers'.

"Maybe." The blonde smirked. "Shall we?" he reached out his hand.

Ami blushed and let him take her to the dance floor, the other patrons were starting to fill up the empty space.

"Happy early birthday, Yuki-hime." Yamato planted a kiss on her forehead, Ami's blush returning full-force. "Beautiful." He tucked a strand of stray hair behind his shy girlfriend's ear.

* * *

"No fair!" Minako whined, the girls spying on the couple during lunchtime a few days later, on Ami's birthday. "Why is Ami's boyfriend such a cutie?"

"And from I've heard," Makoto whispered. "He's in a teenage band in Odaiba."

"I knew he looked familiar." Rei remarked, pulling out the debut album of 'The Teenage Wolves'. "He's the lead singer and bassist; Ishida Yamato."

"Lucky!" Usagi gushed.

"Quiet!" Minako hushed the girls, Yamato pulling out his harmonica from his backpack.

"So romantic…" Makoto went teary-eyed when the four girls heard the starting notes of 'Waltz of the Flowers'.

"Ami looks so happy…" Rei breathed, Ami shutting her eyes as she leaned back-to-back against her boyfriend, at peace as the familiar melody of _their_ song flood her ears.

* * *

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is _finally_ down. Read and review folks.


	6. I Gave You A Harmonica

SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 5. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 5: I Gave You A Harmonica

* * *

"I can't believe you still have that." Ami breathed, Yamato having pulled out the harmonica she had given him.

"Hey, it was the first present you gave me." Yamato reminded. "It's natural that I'll keep it."

"Good point." Ami nodded. Leaning back-to-back against the blonde, she went down memory lane as familiar melody of _their_ song flood her ears.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Guess it's another lonely birthday this year." Yamato sighed, having put away the plates._

"_I'm here, aren't I?" Ami pointed out, the pair having dug into the cupcakes that replaced the customary birthday cake._

"_Um hm…" Yamato nodded._

"_Here." Ami handed him a wrapped present._

"_What is this?" Yamato looked at the box in his hand._

"_Well, isn't it tradition to open presents after cutting the cake?" Ami reminded._

"_You've got a point there." Yamato nodded and unwrapped the cardboard box. "Ami, this is…" he gaped, picking out the silver harmonica out of the box. "You remembered?"_

"_Of course." Ami blushed. "Yamato…" her blushed deepened when the blond pulled her into a hug._

"_Thank you." Yamato whispered._

* * *

_Time passes…_

"_You sure pick things up fast." Ami was impressed, Yamato had started playing on his harmonica days later. "I mean, I only wrote that piece two days ago."_

"_Practice." Yamato replied._

"_You missed one note, by the way." Ami pointed out._

"_Touché." Yamato grinned. "I suppose I need more practice for the next stanza."_

* * *

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is _finally_ down. Read and review folks.


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